Sleigh attachment for vehicles.



A. HOFAGKER. SLEIGH ATTAGHMEN T FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1911.

1,0052 1 5 Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

2 BHEETS-SHEET 1- A. HOFAGKER. SLEIGH ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES. IAPPLIOATION FILED MAY 18, 1911. 1,005,21 5. Patented 00ft. 10, 1911.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON HOFAGKER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

.SLEIGI-I ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application filed May 16, 1911. Serial No. 627,417.

the following to be a full, clear, and exact i description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements insleigh-attachments for wheeled vehicles; and, the present inventionrelates, more particularly, to a novel attachment for wheeled vehiclesof the various kinds, which can be readily operated by a person seatedin the vehicle, to bring the attachment into its proper relation withthe wheels of the vehicle, so as to turn the vehicle into a sleigh.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to providea novel and simply constructed, as well as a quickly and readilymanipulated sleigh or runner attachment for the wheels of vehicles,whereby a wagon or similar vehicle can be easily turned into a sleigh;and, furthermore, the duplicate devices and mechanism, embodying theprinciples of the present invention being arranged upon both sides ofthe vehicle and being adapted to be operated separately andindependently, so that the vehicle may be turned upon one side into asleigh-runner, while upon the other side of the vehicle the wheels areused in the usual manner, or vice versa, as occasion may require.

The invention has for its further object to provide an attachment forthe wheels of vehicles which, while it is primarily intended for use asa runner or sleigh-attachment, may also be used as a wagon-brake or dragfor controlling the momentum of the vehicle in descending hills andsteep inclines.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularlyenumerated will be clearly understood from the following detaileddescription of the present invention.

With the various objects of this invention in view, the said inventionconsists, primarily, in the novel arrangements and com:

binations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of theconstruction of the said parts, as described in detail in the fol lowingspecification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claimwhich are appended to and which form an essential part of thisspecification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle provided with asleigh-attachment constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention, the runners being shown in their raised relationswith the ployed in all of the above described views,

to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference-character 1 indicatesa vehicle, 2 are the front wheels, and 3 the rear wheels of the same. Asillustrated more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the hubs 4 ofthe respective wheels are encircled and have suitably secured thereto aseries of ring-shaped elements, as 5, which are preferably L-shape incross-section, and serve as guides and retainers for the movablearrangement in the spaces between each pair of such guides, of suitablerings 6, the purposes of which will be presently more fully described.

Movably arranged upon the peripheral portions of each front wheel 2 andeach rear wheel 8, so as not to interfere with the revolving movementsof the wheels, is a segmental runner 7, made of metal or any othersuitable material, each runner being provided with the side-flanges 8and 9 which extend partly up the sides of the wheels, as shpwn moreparticularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Suitable springs, as 10, areconnected at one of their ends with the said flanges and at their otherends the said springs are attached to the herein-above mentioned rings 6which are loosely and movably mounted upon the hubs of the wheels of thevehicle.

As shown, the runners upon the rear wheels 3 of the vehicle are providedwith eyes 11 and 13, and the runners upon the front wheels 2 areprovided with eyes 12 and 14. Chains or other suitable flexibleconnections, as-15, are attached to the eyes 11 and to the body 16 ofvehicle, and chains or other flexible connections, as 17 are similarlyattached to the eyes 12 and to the shafts 18, or other suitable part ofthe ve hicle. Suitably secured to the sides 19 of the vehicle arebearings 20, in which is oscillatorily mounted, upon each side of thevehicle, a rod 21, said rods being made with upwardly extending portions22 and 23, and

the respective rearwardly and forwardly extending members 24: and 25,respectively, provided at their free end-portions with the eyes 26 and27, or other suitably formed fastening means.

Chains or other suitable flexible connections, as 28, are attached tothe eyes 13 and 26, and, likewise, chains or other suitable flexibleconnections, as 29, are attached to the eyes 14 and 27. Rigidly mountedand secured upon each rod 21 is a hub, as 30, provided with an upwardlyextending and preferably flat arm 31, each arm being provided upon itsfree end-portion'with a handle 32, for the manipulation of each rod 21.

In order to maintain the several devices in their raised relations,indicated in said Fig.

1 of the drawings, each side 19 of the vehicle is provided with asuitably constructed clamping device 32, each device having a pair ofoutwardly extending springlike clamping members 33 between Which theflat arms 31 can be forced and are detachably held by their frictionalengagement with the said members 33, substantially as shown and as willbe clearly understood from an inspection of said Fig. 1 of the drawings.

7 When the several parts are in the positions shown in said Fig. 1, thechains or flexible connections 28 and 29 are pulled taut, and

the runners are in their raised positions, so that the wheels of thevehicle are free to revolve. When, however, the arms 31 are disconnectedor disengaged from their fric- V tional holding engagement with theclamping members 33, the rods 21 will move into the position indicatedin Fig. 2 of the drawings, whereby the runners are lowered and thewheels will ride directly upon said runners until the chains or flexibleconnections 15 and 17 are held taut, thus providing a suitablesleigh-attachment or drag or brake for each wheel which prevents itsturning, as will be clearly evident.

It will be understood that the devices upon the opposite sides of thevehicle can be operated independently from each other, so that but oneside of the vehicle may be used as a sleigh attachment, while the otherside of the vehicle is running upon its wheels; or, both of thesleigh-attachments may be lowered, so that both sides of the I do notlimit my present invention to the exact arrangements and combinations ofthe devices and parts as described in the said specification,nor do Iconfine myself to the exact details of the construction of the saidparts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. In a sleigh-attachment for wheeled vehicles, the combinationwith the body and wheels of a vehicle, of an oscillatory rod upon theside of the body of the vehicle, means for manipulating said rod,segmental runners movably arranged with relation to the tires of thewheels of the vehicle, flexible connections between said runners andsaid rod for raising and lowering the runners, and other flexibleconnections between said runners and portions of the vehicle, guidesencircling each hub of the wheels of the vehicle, rings loosely mountedupon each hub between said guides, and springs between said rings andsaid runners, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a sleigh-attachment for wheeled vehicles, the combination with thebody and wheels of a vehicle, of an oscillatory rod upon the side of thevehicle, an arm mounted upon said rod, said arm being provided with ahandle, a clamping device secured upon the side of the vehicle, and apair of clamping members connected with said device with which the saidarm can be brought into detachable holding engagement, segmental runnersmovably arranged with relation to the tires of the wheels of thevehicle, flexible connections between said runners and said rod forraising and lowering the runners, and other flexible connections betweensaid runners and portions of the vehicle, guides encircling each hub ofthe wheels of the vehicle, rlngs loosely mounted upon each hub betweensaid guides, and springs between said rings and said runners,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

'3. In a sleigh-attachment for wheeled vehicles, the combination withthe body and wheels of a vehicle, of an oscillatory rod upon the side ofthe vehicle, an arm mounted upon said rod, said arm being provided witha handle, a clamping device secured upon the side of the vehicle, and apair of clamping members connected with said device with which the saidarm can be brought into detachable holding engagement, segmental runnersmovably arranged with relation to the tires of the wheels of thevehicle, said runners being provided with flanges which extend partwayup the sides of the wheels, flexible connections between said runnersand said rod for raising and lowering the runners, and other flexibleconnections bet-ween said runners and portions ofthe vehicle, guidesencircling each hub of the wheels of the vehicle, rings loosely mountedupon each hub between said guides, and springs between said rings andthe flanges of said runners, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this twelfth day of May, 1911.

ANTON HOFAGKER.

Witnesses:

F REDK. C. FRAENTZEL, FREDK. H. W. FRAENTZEL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

